randomkeyhits wrote: »

I also tend to make the distinction between English and American. I speak English, across the pond they speak American, similar but different.

As my husband (British) likes to tell me (American): "Across the pond we speak properly. Here, you don't"

Similar but different is a good way to put it. We understand each other, of course, and yet neither of us had realized just how different the language application can be at times, from a cultural standpoint.

Then of course there have been plenty of single-words and phrases with utterly different meanings. One still cracks me up to this day as I 100% thought he was admitting to cross-dressing, another time the misunderstanding of a single phrase nearly ended our relationship!

And that's with us both speaking the SAME language...much respect to those non-native speakers who dive into the world of written English via chat.

Me English very good

BlackSparrow wrote: »

You're fine. I work as an editor, which means it's my actual JOB to know what good English grammar is, so I wouldn't say it doesn't matter... but I also know that it's not everyone's native language.

As a native English speaker, it's easy to take for granted that your language is one of the most widely used in the world for a lot of business and entertainment, so we never really need to learn a second language when everyone else is learning our first language. I have a lot of respect for anyone who is willing to game and talk to native speakers in a second language, so good job on that! That's more than I could ever do.

As for the people here who are talking about native speakers "butchering" the language.... that's what language does. It's always changing, and grammatical rules exist to describe current usage, not to act as fiat. That said, a couple people using the wrong "your/you're" won't change the language as a whole... if you understand what the person is saying, then the language is doing its job. If a professional editor can take off the grammar hat for online socialization, I think most of you guys can too.

If one person uses the wrong "your/you're", it won't change the language. If a billion people use the wrong "your/you're", and nobody points it out because nobody cares anymore, it absolutely WILL change the language. Does it matter? Maybe not. Maybe that's just the "evolution" of our language. It's "evolving" into something where words don't matter. Maybe we can all just use txt spk 2 talk 2 ery1 cuz any wayz we all no wut u ment so like who cares rite?

When I was in school, I could write a perfectly coherent, extensively researched, well-thought-out paper on a subject, and the teacher would hand it back to me filled with red marks and circles around every spelling and/or grammatical mistake I made, deducting points for each one. Perhaps they don't do that anymore. Perhaps they shouldn't. Or should they? If proper grammar doesn't matter, perhaps proper math doesn't either. Maybe 2 + 2 can equal 3 if I want it to. Where does one draw the line?

Edited to clarify that I'm only referring to native English speakers. People who speak English as a second or third or even fourth language are exempt from our language's half a million absurdly particular and peculiar rules.

I am Dutch and I play on the NA servers to me I sometimes speak badly english but when I ask people they say it's better then most english speaking people, sure I have an accent but some people find it cool others just don't like that but that's cool tho!. But also english has some words same as dutch but a different way of saying it. To be honest people who speak badly english can only improve themself by playing with other people who speak good or perfecly english.

BlackSparrow wrote: »

That said, a couple people using the wrong "your/you're" won't change the language as a whole... if you understand what the person is saying, then the language is doing its job. If a professional editor can take off the grammar hat for online socialization, I think most of you guys can too.

@BlackSparrow @AcadianPaladin

Yes I try, honestly I do... you're misplaced apostrophe, isnt' a reflection on you.
Your typing vociferously... so quick, so fast, what does it matter: grammars a thing of the past.
Ignorance's bliss, gives it a tries; yet with every seen error: a small piece of me dies.

MarzAttakz wrote: »

BlackSparrow wrote: »

That said, a couple people using the wrong "your/you're" won't change the language as a whole... if you understand what the person is saying, then the language is doing its job. If a professional editor can take off the grammar hat for online socialization, I think most of you guys can too.

@BlackSparrow @AcadianPaladin

Yes I try, honestly I do... you're misplaced apostrophe, isnt' a reflection on you.
Your typing vociferously... so quick, so fast, what does it matter: grammars a thing of the past.
Ignorance's bliss, gives it a tries; yet with every seen error: a small piece of me dies.

Be happy that we don't have to decipher each others handwriting!

Sixsixsix161 wrote: »

The English language is changing, and not for the better.

However, it's too late to put that genie back in the bottle.

It pains me when I see people on national TV butchering the language. I.e., "Who do we got?" I'm looking at you Drew Carey (The Price is Right). This when he's asking the announcer who the next person is to play the game.

Of course, he's not the only one, just the one I remembered. And when well-known/famous people on TV and in the press can't get the language right, how can we expect our children to get it right.

I read the daily news and different sports articles extensively, and it's amazing how reporters and sports writers in articles that are published under their name make errors in grammar and sentence structure.

I guess word check and grammar check programs are no longer being used, by anyone.

/end ranting and raving

6

Hate to break it to you but you're part of the problem, English now has already changed and will continue to change, if you want a language that won't change maybe learn Latin.

Khajiit is not at all concerned by the fact that many of you hairless ones have you have such poor khajiiti language skills yes.

As long as this one she can understand the meaning then all it is good is it not?

Yours with paws
Santie Claws

GreyWolf_79 wrote: »

TrueGreenSmoker wrote: »

I am Dutch and I play on the NA servers to me I sometimes speak badly english but when I ask people they say it's better then most english speaking people, sure I have an accent but some people find it cool others just don't like that but that's cool tho!. But also english has some words same as dutch but a different way of saying it. To be honest people who speak badly english can only improve themself by playing with other people who speak good or perfecly english.

I don't think anyone speaks perfect English anymore. Especially not Americans. Your English is fine for someone who doesn't speak it as a native language. In all honesty, you would probably benefit more from learning imperfect English, as speaking proper formal English might make you come across as a [censored word with negative connotations] like me.

Thank you!. I learned my english mostly from TV/movies, music and later on during the late 90's early 2000 from the internet as I didn't do well at school lol and to be honest the school english class was my favorite but it was basic stuff I already knew most of it from as I said tv/movies, music and the internet. But sometimes I check zonechat and sometimes I am just puzzling what people try to say not all but some people or people who correct you with every word you mispronounced. Like for real dude? (Yea I googled how to type mispronounced)

It doesn't bother me a bit.

Because I'm not too arrogant (unlike most 'Murican's...) to realize that not every person in the game speaks English as their Native tongue, or even as their second or even third language.

TrueGreenSmoker wrote: »

GreyWolf_79 wrote: »

TrueGreenSmoker wrote: »

I am Dutch and I play on the NA servers to me I sometimes speak badly english but when I ask people they say it's better then most english speaking people, sure I have an accent but some people find it cool others just don't like that but that's cool tho!. But also english has some words same as dutch but a different way of saying it. To be honest people who speak badly english can only improve themself by playing with other people who speak good or perfecly english.

I don't think anyone speaks perfect English anymore. Especially not Americans. Your English is fine for someone who doesn't speak it as a native language. In all honesty, you would probably benefit more from learning imperfect English, as speaking proper formal English might make you come across as a [censored word with negative connotations] like me.

Thank you!. I learned my english mostly from TV/movies, music and later on during the late 90's early 2000 from the internet as I didn't do well at school lol and to be honest the school english class was my favorite but it was basic stuff I already knew most of it from as I said tv/movies, music and the internet. But sometimes I check zonechat and sometimes I am just puzzling what people try to say not all but some people or people who correct you with every word you mispronounced. Like for real dude? (Yea I googled how to type mispronounced)

I took French and Spanish classes in school. They tried to teach us the "formal" way to speak the languages, but as it turns out, most of the native speakers of those languages use informal dialects. The same is true of English. However, that is still no excuse for a native English speaker to break the most basic rules. There is a difference between slang / dialects, versus just blatantly ignoring basic rules.

I think the most confusing aspect of any language for non-speakers are the expressions - the phrases that are not meant to be taken literally, and have no accurate translation. There is no way to know what they mean without someone explaining it to you.

I notice that another poster mentioned Shakespeare as a justification for twisting or making up words. I hardly think that anyone currently making up words on Facebook or Twitter can compare themselves to Shakespeare. Or have we truly sunken that low? Perhaps we should start comparing meth cookers to Marie Curie. After all, both of them combine chemicals in a laboratory.

I was at a laundromat folding my clothes and foreigner came up to me and said, "Do you need help bending your clothes?". I couldn't stop laughing for some reason.